Cover for pipe ends



April 2, 1935. L, SANDER 1,996,436

COVER FOR PIPE ENDS Filed Aprii 3, 1931 wriw ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 2,1935 UNITED invention relatesrto covers forvent pipes, manholes andjother forms of pipe of conduit ends, and has for. its object: aparticularly snn ie and efiicient lmeans for securing the cover to thepipe end, which means compensateslfor. variations thepipeends of agiyensiae and also compensates for expansion and contractionandhence 'holdsthe cover tight under'all ,conditioi'i'sf" The invention consists 'inrtlie novel features and in thecombinatioiis and constructions hereinrafterset forth and c a med;

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompamingidrawin'g which like characters designate cbrrespondin'g'parts'inall'flthe views. i

Figure l is a transverse sectional view of a cover embodying thisinvention, the same being shown as applied to a pipe end.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view, the pipe end being shown in section.

This invention comprises generally a cover having a shoulder forthrusting against the inner surface of the pipe end, wedging means forthrusting against the inner surface of the pipe end at a point remotefrom, or on the opposite side of the center of the cover from theshoulder, means for operating the wedging means and means for exerting acontinuous pressure or tension on the wedging means so that the wedgingmeans and the cover are held tight under all conditions, this tensionmeans being tensioned by the tightening of the wedging means. I

I designates the cover, which is usually a fia disk resting at itsmargins at 2 on the pipe end 3, the cover having one or more dependingshoulders 4 for thrusting against the inner surface of the pipe end.

5 designates a wedge or wedging shoulder for coacting with the innersurface of the pipe at a point remote from, or on the opposite side ofthe center of the disk from the shoulders 4. The shoulder 5 is operatedfrom outside of the cover by suitable clamping means as a screw 6.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the wedging shoulder 5 isprovided at the end of a lever arm I fulcrumed or pivoted at 8 to theinner side of the cover near the margin thereof and on the same side ofthe center of the cover as the shoulders 4. Preferably, two spaced apartshoulders 4 are used and the lever 'I is pivoted to the cover I midwaybetween the shoulders 4.

The compensating means for exerting a continuous pressure on the wedgeor shoulder 5 is spring means and preferably spring means built the armI is provided w into or inherentin the arm l. The arm 1 is usually cast' iron,'and'in order to makethe arm resilient, it is angular in formor provided with "e n l hhe en es i ien'yi rh ew 5 i @1 jnected jtothe'leverfl tomov'e tighten or loosen the we ge ,and in the il 1us ,ltratedembodiment of invention, the screw threads intof'a nut pivotallynountefd onith'e arm leverl or itoi av a k iovcme l .a

it on its pivot to tiri'y I enclosin th f ll therethrough for the screw6. The screw 63 threads through one side of the yoke, extends throughthe passage l l in the arm 1 and through a passage 12 in the oppositearm of the yoke. The opposite arms of the yoke and the lever are formedwith coacting round surfaces I3 and It for pivotally connecting the nutor yoke Ii) to the lever 1, so that the nut has a rocking or pivotalmovement during the operation of the screw 6. The head l5 of the screwis located in a suitable depression 16 in the cover. The cover may beprovided with vent openings l1.

Obviously, the lever i can be initially shifted without tensioning it tocause the wedge 5 to engage the inner face of the pipe end and'thereafter during further tightening of the screw, the arm I or the loop 9thereof will be tensioned so as to exert a constant thrust or pressureagainst the wedge 5 and its fulcrum point 8 and thus compensate forexpansion and contraction of the pipe end or cover and hold the covertight under all conditions. Also, owing to the lever I, the variationsin pipe ends of a given size are compensated for owing to the fact thatthe lever can swing on its pivot to initially engage the wedge 5 withthe inner surface of the pipe end before the lever goes under tension.It will be understood that pipe ends of presumably the same size varywithin limits, for instance, a four inch pipe made of sheet metal of onegage will have a larger internal diameter than a four inch pipe made ofsheet metal of a smaller gage. Further, owing to the lever, the cover isnot only tightened to the pipe end but is drawn down onto the pipe endduring the tightening of the screw 6.

What I claim is:

1. A cover for pipe ends, the cover having a shoulder for thrustingagainst the inner surface of the pipe, a swinging arm located on theinner 1th a transverse passage side of the cover and fulcrumed theretoand having a wedging surface at its free end for engaging the innersurface of the pipe at a point remote from said shoulder, a nutpivotally mounted on the free end of said arm, and a screw extendingthrough the cover and threading into the nut.

2. A cover for pipe ends having a shoulder for thrusting againsttheinner surface of the pipe, a swinging arm located on the inner side-ofthe cover and fulcrumed thereto and having a wedging surface at its freeend for engaging the inner surface of the pipe at a point remote fromsaid shoulder, a nut in the form of a yoke embracing the free end ofsaid arm and mounted to have a rocking 'movement thereon, and a screwextending through the cover and threading into the yoke, the yokeencircling the free end of said arm and the arm having a transversepassage therethrough within the yoke and the screw threading into theyoke and extending through the passage in said arm.

3. A cover for pipe ends having a shoulder for thrusting against theinner surface of the pipe and a swinging arm pivoted to the inner sideof the cover and having a portion extending from the pivot in adirection at an angle to the cover and 'in a general directionlengthwise of the pipe and a portion integral with the first portioninclining from the end of the former portion toward the cover in ageneral direction transversely of the pipe, whereby the arm is formedwith a loop to increase the resiliency thereof, a wedging shoulder atthe free end of the latter portion for coacting with the inner surfaceof the pipe and means exposed on the outer side of the cover foroperating said arm on its pivot, the first shoulder and the pivot beinglocated on the opposite side of the center of the cover from that onwhich the wedging shoulder is located, whereby movement of said arm tocause the wedging shoulder to tighten in a radial direction against theinner face of the pipe carries the first shoulder to thrust radially ina contrary direction against the inner surface of the pipe.

4. A cover'for pipe ends having a shoulder for thrusting against theinner surface of the pipe and a swinging arm pivoted to the inner sideof the cover near the margin thereof on the side of the cover on whichsaid shoulder is located,

said arm having a portion extending from its coasting with the innersurface ofthe pipe, and

means exposed on the outsideof the cover for operating said arm on itspivot, said arm and its pivot and the first shoulder being so locatedrelatively to the second shoulder, that movement of said arm to causethe second shoulder to wedge against the inner face of the 'pipe thruststhe cover to cause the first shoulder to thrust outward radially in acontrary direction to the radial thrust of the wedging shoulder.

LOUIS J. SANDER.

